Phone Face Up or Face Down? Acadiana Weighs In

Here's a simple question: "When you put your phone down, do you leave it face up or face down?"

I got to thinking about this scenario after noticing this in my household and how we each consistently leave our phones on the counter. For example, my 21-year-old son always puts his face down. My wife kind of leaves hers both ways, while I always lay my phone face up.

I put mine face up because I don't want to risk cracking the screen. That's probably the biggest (and maybe only) reason I go that route.

But those who put theirs face down, are you trying to hide something? That's the first thing that comes to my mind. A colleague said perhaps someone who puts their phone down is just trying to give you their undivided attention.

There are lots of reasons why we each choose to leave our phones the way we do. So we turned to Facebook to ask you guys, and first and foremost, most respondents said they leave their phones face up when they set them down.

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What Acadiana Said: Poll Results

Here's how the numbers broke down for our informal poll:

54% of respondents said they always leave their phones face up
33% of respondents said they always leave their phones face down
13% of respondents leave their phones both face up and face down (depending on the situation and/or some variables)

The reasons we all leave our phones face up or face down are indeed wide and varied. Here are some of the reasons we've found for each:

Reasons for Putting a Phone Face Up

Instant Awareness: You can see incoming texts, calls, and app alerts the second they arrive without needing to touch the device.
Availability: It shows readiness for urgent work messages, calls, or networking opportunities when you are on-call or expecting important news.
Convenience: It is faster to pick up and unlock the phone using facial recognition (like Face ID) when it is resting on its back.
Openness: Some users prefer leaving the screen visible to signal transparency and a lack of secrecy regarding their notifications.

Reasons for Putting a Phone Down

Screen Protection: Placing the screen against the table protects the fragile glass from liquid spills, food crumbs, blowing sand, etc.
Better Etiquette: Turning the phone over shows respect to people around you, signaling that you are fully present and not distracted by your phone.
Fewer Distractions: Hiding the display stops the screen from lighting up repeatedly, which reduces the temptation to check group chats and social media.
Privacy: It keeps private text messages and incoming caller IDs hidden from prying eyes in public spaces or meetings.
Heat Prevention: In hot or sunny environments, keeping the screen face down prevents direct sunlight from overheating the display.

These reasons may have opened your eyes to the many reasons behind why we place our phones face up or face down. It's an interesting look into a small part of human behavior and reasoning, if nothing else.